24/10/2025
ποΈAUM (OM): The Four States of Consciousness
AUM (OM) is not merely a sound or a symbol; it is the representation of the Char Awastha β the four fundamental states of consciousness: Jagrit (waking), Swapna (dream), Sushupti (deep sleep), and Turiya (transcendental awareness) β and beyond these lies the Turiyatit Awastha, the state beyond even transcendence. Together, these describe the complete journey of consciousness, from material awareness to absolute realization.
Jagrit Awastha β The Waking State
The first state, Jagrit Awastha, is where we are awake and perceive the external world through our physical senses. In this state, we see, hear, touch, and experience the world around us, believing it to be real and solid. Our mind is active, our body functions, and our awareness is directed outward. This is the ordinary waking consciousness that most people identify as βlife.β
Swapna Awastha β The Dream State
The second state, Swapna Awastha, is the dream state. Here, though the physical body sleeps, the mind remains active, projecting its own world of images, emotions, and stories. But this brings forth a profound question: Who is seeing the dream?
When we sleep, our physical eyes are closed, and yet we βsee.β We witness entire worlds unfold in our dreams β people, places, and emotions β but without the aid of the physical senses. So, who is the seer in this state?
It is the inner eye, the Third Eye, that perceives during dreams β not the physical eyes. Behind this perception is the Chetna Shakti, the power of consciousness that observes continuously, in all states. This inner awareness is the Shiva within us, the eternal witness, untouched and pure.
The mind, however, is a wandering phenomenon. It changes form β becoming thoughts, emotions, fears, and desires. It fluctuates constantly, feeling pain, confusion, and restlessness. But when the mind becomes centred and focused within the observing light of Chetna, clarity emerges. Stillness reveals truth, and the divine awareness shines through the turbulence of the mind.
In the dream state, what we see is often the outcome of our subconscious impressions β stress, digestive disturbances, daily thoughts, unfulfilled desires, and accumulated mental imagery. These are not real experiences but temporary projections of the mind, expressing itself as dreams.
Sushupti Awastha β The Deep Sleep State
The third state, Sushupti Awastha, is deep sleep. Here, there are no dreams, no thoughts, no dualities. The mind is at rest, and all experiences seem to vanish. Yet, when we wake up, we often say, βI didnβt see any dream; I just slept deeply.β
But pause and reflect β who says this? If there were truly nothing in deep sleep, how could we recall that we βdid not seeβ anything? That means there was someone witnessing even the absence of dreams. This witness is not the mind, for the mind was at rest. It is the same inner observer, the consciousness itself, that silently witnesses even the void.
Consider an example: if I say, βYour teacher is sitting behind you,β you cannot be certain of it unless you turn and see for yourself. Only the one who sees can assert the truth. Likewise, in the state of sleep, the βseerβ β the inner witness β is the one who truly knows what transpired. That witness is the Self, the divine observer within, the Sakshi Chaitanya β the pure consciousness that is ever aware.
Turiya Awastha β The Transcendental State
Beyond waking, dreaming, and deep sleep lies Turiya Awastha, the fourth state of consciousness. This is a divine and still state β the realm of pure awareness, free from thought and duality. In Turiya, the seeker experiences Samadhi, a deep stillness where the individual self merges with the universal consciousness. It is the silence beneath all sounds, the peace behind all movements, the eternal witness beyond all changing states.
In Turiya, one experiences unity β no longer saying βI am seeing,β but resting as the very essence of seeing itself. The observer, the observed, and the act of observation dissolve into one. This is the state of Shiva β the infinite, undivided consciousness.
Turiyatit Awastha β Beyond Transcendence
Yet, there is a state even beyond Turiya, known as Turiyatit Awastha. This is the state of complete liberation, where even the awareness of being aware dissolves. It is the Parabrahmic state, where all distinctions β of self and Supreme β vanish. There is no knower, no known, only Being. It is the state of the Absolute β the pure existence beyond consciousness and unconsciousness.
AUM β The Sound of the States
All these states β Jagrit, Swapna, Sushupti, and Turiya β are symbolically contained within the sacred syllable Om (AUM).
The sound A represents Jagrit β the waking state.
The sound U represents Swapna β the dream state.
The sound M represents Sushupti β the deep sleep state.
The silence following AUM represents Turiya β the transcendental awareness beyond sound and form.
And beyond that silence is Turiyatit β the infinite, timeless stillness beyond even awareness.
Om is not merely a chant; it is a primordial vibration, resonating everywhere β in every sphere, every being, every atom of existence. It vibrates in the heart of creation, sustaining and witnessing all.
Conclusion
Thus, Om encapsulates the totality of consciousness β from the waking world to the supreme stillness of the divine. Within us, the eternal observer β Chetna Shakti, the Shiva within β witnesses all transitions: waking, dreaming, sleeping, and transcendence. The realization of this witness, the silent seer behind all experiences, is the essence of spiritual awakening.
In truth, we are not the body, nor the mind, nor even the dreamer. We are the Witness Consciousness, the divine spark of eternity that sees all, yet remains unchanged β the Omnipresent Light vibrating as AUM through all states of being.
